Skelton Sets Out National Ambition For Anxiety Attack

Plans are afoot for the Skelton steady success to extend into spring as both Panic Attack and Grey Dawning have headline ambitions, at Aintree and Cheltenham respectively.


Panic Attack rewarded the vibrant campaigning of Dan Skelton and owner Bryan Drew when taking both the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Coral Gold Cup within two weeks, the latter of which showed her stamina over an extended three-mile-two-furlong trip for the very first time.


The Randox Grand has actually for that reason come into focus for the mare, with preparations most likely to include a trip to Newbury and possibly Kelso as she is readied for the world's biggest steeplechase in April.


Panic Attack winning the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury (Steven Paston/PA)


"She's going to go to Newbury in January, there's a mares' race for her there," said Skelton.


"Then she will potentially go to Kelso en route to the Grand National, that's our objective.


"If we expensive attempting the mares' chase at the Cheltenham Festival then we might, but our sights are firmly set on the Grand National."


Another success story for the Skelton group this term so far was Grey Dawning's Betfair Chase victory, in which he reversed the form with Royale Pagaille having finished the runner-up behind him 12 months prior.


Grey Dawning at Aintree last season (Mike Egerton/PA)


The Cheltenham Gold Cup now waits for the eight-year-old, who will prepare for the peak of the National Hunt season with a run in the Cotswold Chase at the same track in January rather of a formerly mooted trip to Ireland for the Savills Chase.


"I had the entry for him in Ireland and I was truly lured by it, however on balance we thought it was more practical to keep him this side of the Irish Sea before his Gold Cup bid," stated Skelton.


"He's a horse who has stepped up to the mark, it was a great perform at Haydock and we'll be hoping to reproduce one of those a couple of more times."